Push
by Seras0Victoria
Summary: Allen knew Lenalee was someone special to him but never began to think how he could or if he should even try to express this to her. But a new Exorcist comes to HQ and may give Allen a reason to try and figure it out before it's too late. Three-Shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Push**

Part 1 of 2

Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, and all characters in the -Man Universe do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them for a while to suit my purpose. If it wasn't clear before, I will reiterate that this is an Allen Walker X Lenalee Lee story. Two-shot.

I was going to start continuing on with my current DGM fic but this idea injected itself into my head as I sat down to type and I had to explore it. Sigh…I'm so bad with procrastination. Ilya Shkarov is someone I made up to propel this story along. I am not sure specifically where this is set in terms of the manga's time line and I think I'm okay with that. Let's just say sometime after the move to the new HQ.

* * *

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London**

"Hey, who's that…? Allen asked, catching a glimpse of Lenalee and someone he didn't recognize walking beside her on the level just below. He went flush against the rails to get a better look as the pair continued walking on the adjacent side, in the opposite direction he and Lavi were headed.

Lavi leisurely walked over to Allen and looked below as well. "Oh, that must be the new Exorcist from the Eastern European Branch. I heard they sent him over here so Komui could brief him on procedural stuff. I think he's one of the first Exorcists we've had from Russia in a very long time. Besides, everyone has to come through Headquarters the first time they get inducted, with Hevlaska being here and all. Komui will decide where he'll be placed officially after meeting with him. Looks like Lenalee's giving the tour. You remember all that, of course."

"Hard to forget, considering…"

"Oh yeeaah, your infamous 'introduction' to Yu," Lavi said with a big grin. "Well, can't say it wasn't exciting, eh?"

"I'm not sure I'd call almost losing my head…'exciting,'" Allen lamented.

"Well, good thing Lenalee showed up when she did or else you'd have a hard time eating normally, you know, being dead and all. Speaking of which, c'mon, let's get to the dining hall, I'm starving. The new guy's probably headed up here for dinner, too…" Lavi trailed off as he let go of the rail and continued on their original path.

Allen looked on as Lenalee and the new Exorcist, who seemed to be a good head taller than her, walked down the hall. He strained to hear snippets of her guided tour…

"…and these are our quarters…all Exorcists go off to…call this our home…" Allen caught a few words until there were only muffles and the sound of shuffling feet as he lost sight of them underneath the eaves of the floor on which he was currently standing. He continued to lean against the rail, thinking about the time when he first arrived and got his own guided tour of the original Headquarters. He recalled being nervous, anxious, and excited all at once, barely able to take in all the surroundings as Lenalee pointed them out. In the span of 10 minutes, he had been scanned, accused of being an agent of the Earl, nearly gutted and beheaded, then to add insult to injury he was…well, insulted. Lenalee was the first friendly welcome he received when he arrived; a memory he'd never forget as it included the first time he had ever seen Kanda put in his place. He had finally made it to The Black Order and he was going to officially be an Exorcist, as his Master had commissioned. True, those initial moments were hair-raising but thanks to a young lady armed with a clip board and utmost pride in her job, he had been saved to live another day. He didn't realize his lips had slowly turned up into an indulgent grin as he recalled those memories…

"Oi! Allen! Are you coming or not? Your food's gonna get cold and then Jerry's gonna pout the rest of the night," cried Lavi from the end of the hall, pulling Allen out of his reverie.

"Ah— I'm coming!" replied Allen, his stomach growling at him as if to reinforce Lavi's sentiments.

As he raced into the dining hall, he noticed that most everyone was gathered there to enjoy dinner together. It was few and far between when the majority of the Exorcists, Finders, and support staff were able to sit down together. It meant that missions were successful, that akuma activity was on the low end; that people were able to do things considered to be routine and take comfort in monotony. It certainly made the atmosphere lively, having so many personnel chatting together.

Allen followed Lavi to a table near the entry way, as it was one of the few that had room. He preferred the tables nearest to the kitchen so that he could always go back and ask Jerry for anything additional his taste buds felt like. But he was happy to see the dining room so full and decided that the extra steps to get to Jerry were worth it. He sat across from Lavi who had himself found a spot next to Kanda.

"Thanks for saving us a spot, Kanda," said Allen.

Kanda looked up from his soba noodles with signature indignance. "Why would *I* save…"

"Nobody wants to sit near you, Kanda, so you can sort of say you saved us this whole table…" Allen managed to say before he ducked just in time to hear the air slice in two above his head.

"Our little moyashi is all grown up, eh, Yu? Talking back and all," Lavi chimed in as he elbowed Kanda playfully in the arm, encouraging him to sheath Mugen.

Kanda stood up, disgusted. "I've lost my appetite looking at you both," he spat and turned to leave.

"Yu, stick around. The new guy's gonna be here any minute."

"So?"

"Lenalee's gonna to introduce him and she's not gonna to be happy you're not here when everyone else is. On the other hand, I'm sure she'd be happy to bring him to your room so you can get a one-on-one intro," reasoned Lavi.

"Tch," was all Kanda had in reply before he sat down again and stabbed Mugen into the floor, holding it like a regal scepter.

Allen smiled as he started eating, wishing someone would come in and give Kanda a sound pummeling with a clipboard to wipe that imperial sneer from his face. He did feel a certain sense of relief in knowing that Kanda was rude to every newcomer and that he wasn't exceptional in that way. But he wasn't sure how many times Kanda had ever tried to disembowel a fellow Exorcist. Allen supposed he would have to continue on being distinguished in that regard.

"Excuse me, everyone!" shouted Lenalee above the din, waving her hand high in the air. Not surprisingly, everyone stopped what they were doing, even mid-sentence, and turned to face her. Lenalee wasn't necessarily loud or imposing when she spoke aloud, but it was distinct in that it was one of the very few female voices so it rose above the lower frequencies with its lighter, brighter pitch and clarion tone. But most of all, it was because of their respect for her that they did well to care for her by being as mannerly as they could.

"Sorry to interrupt but I wanted all of you to meet our newest member of the Order, Ilya Shkarov. He's from Eastern Russia and will be staying here for at least the next few days until he is placed into a specific Branch. I hope you can all come by and greet him," she concluded, with her warm smile.

Everyone cheered and shouted their welcomes. Ilya looked over the entirety of the room and nodded conservatively as he took in everyone's greetings, his faint smile dimpling his cheeks. Allen applauded as well and noticed, now that he was seeing them more leveled, that Ilya was actually well over a head taller than Lenalee, with wide set shoulders. His thick black hair was wavy but brushed neatly and his eyes were an icy blue. It seemed to Allen that he looked a little older than even Lavi and Kanda. When the cheers died down, Allen waved them over to their table where there was plenty of room. Had there been other seats available, Allen would have waved Lenalee over anyway as he had always savored the friendly and comfortable atmosphere created just by being in her midst.

"Hello, Allen-kun," she said, simply, smiling brilliantly at him. He smiled back, trying to ignore the sudden tingling in the back of his head, the darts in his chest, and the way his legs gave out slightly. Thankful that he was already sitting down, he motioned for her to have a seat as well.

"Hey, we're here, too, Lenalee. You gonna just give Allen all the good stuff?" complained Lavi.

Lenalee giggled, "What are you talking about, Lavi? Besides, I saw you and Kanda this morning. I haven't seen Allen-kun all day."

"I see how it is," he replied, feigning ire.

Allen noted how well Lavi played it cool and how natural it was for Kanda to act indifferent. He himself had not yet quite mastered the art of nonchalance and wasn't sure he'd ever get to that point when it came to Lenalee. Would it come with age and maturity? Or did it just happen with time? How much effort would it take? The real question lay in whether he actually wanted things to change. The reaction he had to Lenalee, whether it was 5 days or 5 minutes apart, was not what he'd consider an unpleasant one. The pinprick he felt in his chest every time he heard her voice reminded him that he was alive. The quickening of his pulse made him aware of his all-too-human heart. He just didn't know what to do with it…

"Ilya, I want you to meet three very important people. This is Allen, Lavi, and Kanda. We work together quite often and they're like my family."

"Greetings," said Ilya, and nodded at them.

"Nice to meet you, Ilya," Allen said genuinely as he offered his hand.

"Good meeting you, man," inserted Lavi while he was shaking hands with Allen.

"I'm free to go now, I assume," intoned Kanda, flatly.

"Don't mind Yu here, he's just shy," said Lavi, as Kanda got up to leave, but not before jabbing a jutting knuckle into the back of Lavi's head.

"Ow!"

"Slow-ass punk."

"Family, huh?" commented Ilya as Kanda turned the corner out of the dining hall.

"Well, every family has one of those, right? But they're still family," replied Lenalee, as she sat down next to Allen. "Please, sit."

"Should I not go order something first?" he inquired.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Jerry already has something in mind for you," Lenalee replied, confidently.

Just as she spoke, Jerry walked over with a tray full of food, and for the first time, they saw Ilya's eyes light up with delight.

"Borsch, pelmeny, shashlik, pirozhki, and kulich!" he cried, his mouth agape.

"Jerry's really good with regional foods," explained Lenalee. "Because we come from so many different backgrounds and countries, he has made it his goal to make popular dishes from each of them so we get a little taste of home any time we want."

"My grandmother used to make the best kulich…" Ilya began but trailed off as his throat constricted and his eyes welled up.

"It won't be nearly as good as hers but I hope you'll like it," said Jerry, normally full of spunk and energy, but this time with earnest. He placed a hand on Ilya's shoulder as he slowly took a bite and chewed.

"It is…wonderful…" Ilya said genuinely as he looked up at Jerry, silently thanking him.

Jerry beamed and walked off, happy as always to provide not only sustenance but also warm memories. Ilya continued to eat more voraciously with each new bite.

"If it's okay, may I ask….where is your grandmother, Ilya?" inquired Lenalee, tenderly, after he was able to put away most of his dinner.

"Her village was annihilated by Akuma two years ago. Only a few were able to escape to neighboring farms. That is how I heard the news; while I was working on my parents' farm several kilometers away. By the time I got there, there was only fire, smoke, and ash. I could not distinguish between the remains of her home and the remains of my grandmother. So I buried it all under the earth…"

"Oh, Ilya, I am so sorry…" Lenalee lamented, putting her left hand atop his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Lavi and Allen remained respectfully silent with their heads bowed in deference to the grief Ilya was still experiencing.

"…she was not afforded the chance to have her family watch her go into death so that we could bid her spirit peace and close her eyes for her at last. Doing that for our loved ones is an honored tradition," he continued, somberly. "Later, I heard stories of ghosts of the dead from that village returning and claiming the lives of those who had survived to mourn them. I was afraid it would happen to me as well. Of course, I only learned recently that the survivors, many who had been relatives of my neighbors, had called back the dead and turned them into Akuma. In the end, there were no real survivors left."

Allen flinched. He knew this scenario all too well.

"We have all experienced similar loss, Ilya," comforted Lenalee. "Many of us fight for those we lost to the Earl. And many of us fight to try and keep others from having to experience it for themselves."

With those last words, Lenalee turned and placed her right hand lightly and discreetly on Allen's knee, giving him a knowing and supportive glance. She had noticed Allen stiffen at Ilya's words and knew that his mind turned inwardly to thoughts of his father, Mana. She wished she could take back the question she asked Ilya, sure that Allen would be wracked with guilt set loose from this freshly torn scab that never had a chance to heal.

Allen looked up and saw her kind eyes. With much effort, he set his mouth into a grim smile, still affected by Lenalee's disarming care; her desire to pull the lid off before he allowed the pot to boil over. He subtlely nodded his head, hoping she'd understand that he would be all right and she didn't have to worry about him falling apart. He hated having her worry over him.

Time became immeasurable when he looked at Lenalee. He couldn't tell if seconds or minutes or hours passed. And he didn't care. In those instances, he forgot a little of the pain, a little of the grief, and tasted stolen moments of peace.

"Lenalee…after dinner…can I speak with you alone?" inquired Ilya, suddenly. It wasn't until then that Lavi and Allen noticed he had covered Lenalee's hand with his own, so large it was dwarfing hers. "It's a private matter I would like to discuss with you."

"U-um, sure, Ilya," replied Lenalee, hesitantly. Though she'd only met him earlier today, she had pegged him as a man of very few words. But he seemed so anxious now to speak. "I'll meet you in the lounge?"

"I remember you showed me that room. I will see you in thirty minutes, yes? Will that be enough time for you to enjoy your meal?"

"Yes, it should be plenty, thank you."

"Good," he said simply, and got up to leave. "Thank you for your warm welcome, gentlemen," he directed toward Lavi and Allen. "I hope I will be able to work with you in the future." With that, he left the dining hall, heading toward the lounge.

"I wonder what that was about," Allen genuinely wondered aloud.

"He seems to have warmed up to you quickly, eh, Lenalee?" stated Lavi, that mischievous look returning to his eyes, almost as if he knew something they didn't.

"I'm sure he just wants to talk to me more about the Order, Lavi; probably about his meeting with nii-san," she defused.

"Maybe he wants to ask you if you're single."

"Lavi!" cried both Allen and Lenalee at once.

Lavi feigned innocence. "What? He's a good-looking, strapping young man, don't you think? And don't take this the wrong way, Lenalee, but aside from Miranda and General Kloud, you're the best representative of the fairer gender around here. What does his dossier say? He's 19 or 20 years old, right? I'm pretty good with guessing ages. He looks like he's worked the land pretty hard…"

He would have continued on but Lenalee had abruptly and swiftly pulled down his bandanna over his mouth. Allen was glad for it otherwise Lavi would have been on the receiving end of another kick to the head.

"That's rude, Lavi," was what Allen was able to get out, noticing the furious flush spreading across Lenalee's nose and cheeks.

"Look, I'm just joking around a little. You guys are too serious sometimes," Lavi said in a more somber, even tone, as he pulled his bandanna all the way down around his neck. "We live such unorthodox lives, is it wrong to talk about things that we would normally be doing, if we were, you know..."

"…not Exorcists?" finished Lenalee.

Lavi nodded.

"I don't know if it's better or worse to talk about those things," said Allen, thoughtfully. "It might be fun for a time but then you start to think about the fact that it can never be a reality for us; those things that other people take for granted."

"Could you imagine if my greatest concern was what I was going to wear to school tomorrow so I wouldn't be ridiculed or so that boys might notice me?" asked Lenalee, with a wistful smile, almost as if talking to herself. Then her smile faltered and her expression turned sober. "Or…if all I had to worry about was if someone I liked, liked me back?"

They sat there quietly for a long moment, ruminating over things that they could be, would be, and should be doing at their age outside of the Black Order. Then Lenalee reached over and put her hand on Lavi's arm.

"I know it's hard for you, too, Lavi. You try so hard to pull us out of our heads every once in a while so we don't forget ourselves completely. And you're right…we shouldn't be so serious all the time. I will always remember that day I went shopping in town with Russell-san, I almost felt…I felt like a normal girl, even though nii-san did everything he could to ruin it," she chuckled nervously. "Maybe I should try to pursue those kinds of things every now and again, hm?" she said, as she tilted her head and smiled sweetly.

Lavi nodded, thankful that she understood his intentions and chided himself for maybe pushing too hard and getting too involved in their lives. He found he couldn't help himself, which went against every bit of training and advice from that Old Panda. He tried to shake off his obligation to either complicity, hoping somehow he could still be faithful to both without forsaking the other.

Allen, who had remained relatively quiet during all of this, was lost in thought and torn for his good friends. Lavi: responsible for recording human history objectively and yet, falling prey to that most human of traits – caring – and thereby suffering each time he went about his duties. And Lenalee who, by all means, should be enjoying her youth and spending some of her energy on frivolous things and laughing much more than she ever had, was cooped up in a dark foreboding building ever since she was a child, the burden of the world heavy on her shoulders. And yet, without them fulfilling these roles, where would the world be? Where would he be?

"…maybe I should try to pursue those kinds of things every now and again, hm?" Allen heard Lenalee say as he finally came out of his own thoughts. "I guess I should to go meet with Ilya. I hope it's nothing too serious. Thank you, Lavi. Good-bye, Allen-kun."

"B-bye, Lenalee…" Allen managed to sputter out as he realized she was leaving. She turned and waved at him, smiling cheerfully, before turning to head toward the lounge. Allen turned to Lavi. "What was Lenalee saying about pursuing those kinds of things, Lavi? What kind of things?"

"I thought you looked out of it," commented Lavi. "She was just saying that maybe she'll try doing things every once in a while that will help her feel like a normal young lady. You know, take a walk around the city, go shopping more often, go to the theatre, maybe even find a lover…"

"Eh?" cried Allen, a little more loudly than he intended.

"I wonder if Ilya's ever been to the theatre," pondered Lavi, unaffected, as he leaned back and laced his hands behind his head.

Allen barely muttered an excuse for himself and quickly left the dinner table.

Lavi closed his eyes and smiled.

T**O BE CONTINUED IN PART 2**

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A/N – Ah Lavi, my dear, sweet instigator! I like him in the role of accelerant. Let's see if his plan works in the next Chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Push**

Part 2 of 3

I want to thank those who read Part 1 within a few hours of submission and replied with encouragement and posted their reviews. This community's support means a lot to me.

Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, and all characters in the DGM Universe do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them for a while to suit my purpose. If it wasn't clear before, I will reiterate that this is an Allen Walker X Lenalee Lee story.

I was going to start continuing on with my current DGM fic but this idea injected itself into my head as I sat down to type and I had to explore it. Sigh…I'm so bad with procrastination. Ilya Shkarov is someone I made up to propel this story along. I am not sure specifically where this is set in terms of the manga's time line and I think I'm okay with that. Let's just say sometime after the move to the new HQ.

* * *

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London – Lounge**

Lenalee took slow, deliberate steps. The idea of the lounge was a bit comical to her. It was a huge, expansive room but no one ever really lounged there, save Lavi, and only because he thought his room got stuffy to sleep in every now and again. Back at the old headquarters, it went unused for decades and she was sure it would be the same here. These days, people hardly had enough time to eat and sleep much less leisurely sit in that room and relax, letting time idly slip by. She certainly wasn't going to let any precious minutes be wasted…at least that's what she kept telling herself.

The last memory she had of being in the lounge was a vivid one. Outside, thunder and lightning assaulted the night skies that directly translated into the prickly uneasiness of her heart as she sat and waited for Allen to come out. Johnny kept her company, trying to reassure her that there was a good reason why Allen was hauled off and that he would be emerging any minute to explain everything to them. The next thing she knew, Allen was draping a blanket over her and Johnny. Mortified that she had fallen asleep and that Johnny was leaning into her, Lenalee tried to quickly recover from her stupor. When Allen asked her not to wake Johnny and sidled next to her, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown in her face. Allen's countenance was one of incredulity, shock and something else...a calm weariness that reached all the way into his soul. Lenalee instantly knew that helping him might be beyond her capabilities. Something had happened that took him out of her reach and into a place she shouldn't follow. But it didn't mean she wouldn't.

As she entered the lounge, she saw Ilya sitting on the very couch she remembered last sitting with Allen; where they had fallen asleep leaning against each other, too exhausted mentally and physically to do anything but support each other in their slumber. Ilya was sitting with his hands folded in his lap, his posture ramrod straight, his visage was of one lost in thought. When he saw Lenalee, he stood and walked over to her quickly…and offered his arm. He withdrew it immediately upon noticing her confusion and the awkwardness that followed.

"I'm sorry, Lenalee, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable," he said.

"Oh, no, it's all right, I just….no one has ever done that before so I wasn't sure…." she stammered as she waved her hands in front of her, nervously.

"Old habits are hard to break, I am afraid. Please, sit down," said Ilya, as he gestured her over to the couch.

As she sat down, Lenalee's mind was filled with genuine bewilderment. Ilya seemed nice enough and was obviously a caring individual as demonstrated by his closeness to his family but he also did not seem the type to be so forthcoming. From what little her brother had told her about Ilya and her own review of his personal dossier, she surmised that he spoke only when necessary and mostly kept to himself. It was then that Lavi's theory invaded her thoughts. Suddenly, her hands became clammy.

"I know this is rather odd but I would not have asked you here if it was not important," Ilya began.

Lenalee tried to tell herself to calm down. She had no right to assume anything since she didn't know Ilya well at all and it wasn't fair to foist her own insecurities onto him. But she had never really purposefully been alone with a man before; a man she barely new anyway. Kanda was a childhood friend whose relationship was cultivated over a long period of time and tribulation. And it didn't take long for her to become comfortable with Lavi – for all of the distance and objectivity he was supposed to exert as the Bookman's heir, he couldn't help but extend his care and concern. His mind was that of a Bookman's but his heart lay vulnerable and was all too easily pierced.

Then there was Allen. Her affinity towards him was palpable from the moment she met him. It was apparent that he was searching for a place to belong and she wanted to make him feel at home and at ease immediately. It wasn't long after he arrived that she was able to see how much he was willing to give…almost as if he were throwing himself away. It was also not long after that she found herself wanting to do everything in her power to keep him from doing so. But unlike Kanda and Lavi, Allen was the only one with whom she felt both equally at ease and flustered around. Before she could delve any further into why that was, Ilya cleared his throat, compelling her to look at him.

"First of all, thank you, for welcoming me here so warmly. It has been a long time since last I was greeted with such bright eyes and lovely smile. It does this man good to see these things," he said, sincerely.

"Oh, you don't have to say things like that. It's just my duty as the assistant to the Supervisor," she replied, politely, unsure how to navigate these waters and slowly starting to realize that she might wreck against the rocks soon if she wasn't careful.

"It is this. When I look at your face, I think of such things that were once very real to me and brought immense joy and pleasure. You remind me of the only things that were beautiful to me…"

Lenalee began to blush furiously. She had no idea how to take such compliments and started panicking as to how to reply in turn. But he wasn't done yet.

"I wanted to ask you something. And I know it will be very awkward since I have only just met you. But this is something my heart wishes for so very much and there is little time, I do not wish to delay…"

As she looked upon Ilya, at his sincere and humble face, she realized that she had hardly ever considered other Exorcists as a male or female. She only saw them as her comrades, no matter their gender or age. It wasn't until Allen stepped through the Gate that first night when she had begun to feel a profound disparity between them. Suddenly, she became self-conscious and nervous but had no idea as to why. She held it together convincingly by enveloping herself in the comfort of routine in giving a tour to the newcomer. But when her brother had taken Allen to meet Hevlaska, Lenalee excused herself so she could be alone.

In her room, she had quietly sat down and ruminated on why she felt so shaken, tracing the unsettling feeling back to when she first laid eyes on the young man she had just met. His white hair was a shock but before she could even surmise as to why, she was met with a pair of grey eyes that were kind, bare, innocent, and deeply sad all at once. She tore herself away from staring at them, into them, lest she lose herself completely. Thankfully, Kanda's usual candor distracted Allen from her awkwardness and she gave some lame excuse as to why he was in such a foul mood. And so they had continued on. As the days passed, she expected the newness of the experience to wane and perhaps also her reaction to him. But each time she saw him, it was ever the same: this fierce need to be near him, to help him, and care for him. In fact, the feelings only grew stronger and more relentless as time passed.

But with time, she also learned to temper those feelings and content herself with being his good friend and nothing more. After getting to know him, she understood his kindness and strength knew no bounds and that he was meant for bigger, more important things than the trifling fancies of a young woman. It was Allen who truly ushered her into what it was to be a lady and it was Allen who would keep that intact with his thoughtful manners and respectful actions toward her.

But sometimes, she would catch herself slipping and once again get caught up in his sad, mercurial eyes. And sometimes, when he looked at her, she could swear that she felt him trying to mask something as well. The moment would pass in an instant, and they would be back to their usual, friendly rapport as he smiled that all-assuring smile.

Even as one-sided as she imagined it was, she could not and would not betray her feelings. Until she no longer had the strength or will, she knew that she wanted nothing else but to preserve the home he had built in her heart. There was no room for anyone else.

"…and so, I wanted to ask you, Lenalee…would you be my…." Ilya continued, hesitantly.

"Oh Ilya, the last thing I want to do is to hurt your feelings," interjected Lenalee. "I can tell you're a good man but I…I am in no position to…I can't be with anyone. I'm sorry."

"I do not understand," he replied. "You can't BE with anyone?"

"No, I can't. It's too hard to explain but, to put it simply, I have feelings for someone else," she said, deciding it was best to be honest with him.

He continued to look perplexed and he sat there in silence for a good long while.

Then, Lenalee noticed a slight pinkness in his cheeks, and he started to shake his head, covering his face with his large hands.

"What is it, Ilya? Are you all right?"

"Lenalee. I am sorry," he said finally, as his hands slowly lowered back down. "I must have given you the wrong idea. It is my fault since I did not explain it better than I could have. I apologize for misleading you."

"What do you mean?"

"What I wanted to ask you was, will you be my little sister?"

And now it was Lenalee's turn to be perplexed and it showed in her expression. Ilya took the opportunity to expound.

"You see…when I went back into the town to search for my grandmother, what I did not know was that akuma were then headed for the outskirts to finish off any settlers in the surrounding area, probably knowing that extended families were out there expanding the area. After I buried my grandmother's remains, I returned to the farm to find that it too had been destroyed and everyone in it. My mother. My father. My….my little sister…"

"Oh no…" was all Lenalee could say, putting her hands over his.

"My little sister was an angel to me; my delight. She was so loving and generous to me and our parents. She was growing up to be a beautiful young woman and I knew she would become a wonderful wife and mother some day. Any time she entered or left the room, I would run to her and escort her with her on my arm, much like a princess. She was too shy about it at first, but she soon giggled and slipped her arm through mine easily each time. I was so proud to be her brother and she doted on me more than I deserved. We were inseparable…except on that day when I ran into the city. When I came back, I had to prepare yet more graves."

He paused briefly as tears slowly fell, not bothering to wipe them away.

"But I am asking you this because I miss her so very much. And it is strange to ask such a thing. But you look so much like her and are about her age as well. And dare I say, you remind me of her in more ways than your appearance. Would you let me be a brother to you? Let me be there for you as I would have my own sister had she lived?"

Lenalee pressed her hands into his and squeezed gently. She was all at once relieved and esteemed and she knew what she could do for him at the very least.

"You may not know this but Supervisor Komui Lee is my brother, whom I love dearly," she said slowly.

"I…see," Ilya replied, looking down, trying to cover the incoming disappointment.

"But could I be so lucky as to have two wonderful brothers all to myself?" Lenalee said and smiled.

Ilya looked up; anticipation brimming in his eyes, unable to speak for fear of breaking the bubble of hope that was starting to form.

"I'd be honored to be your little sister, Ilya. Of course. I can't aspire to be remarkable as she must have been but I will do my best to be there for you as well, as I know she would have been."

"Thank you so much. So very much. I cannot tell you what this means to me."

"I do have one condition, however," said Lenalee with mock sternness.

"Anything."

"This must be kept between me and you as best as possible. My brother, as much as I adore him, can be a little…possessive," she said, emphasizing the last word.

"I think I can understand a little," Ilya said with a nod.

"Then I think it's time for you to meet him. Your scheduled briefing and assignment meeting is in about 20 minutes."

They both stood up and Lenalee was taken aback when Ilya offered her his arm as he bowed slightly. Unwittingly, she giggled with realization and softly slipped her arm through his. He nodded at her appreciatively and they both walked out of the lounge together toward Komui's office.

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London **

Allen had followed Lenalee out of the dining hall and stopped several paces outside the lounge, able to see them but not hear anything but mumbles. Uneasiness swept over him at finding himself invading the sanctity of privacy and he immediately tore himself away. As he walked back to the dining hall, his mind reeled with thoughts and scenarios that came unbidden. He found himself turning on his heels to go back to the lounge but then halted as he came closer to the room and to his senses. He paced back and forth like this countless times, talking himself into walking back to Lavi and telling him where to shove his theory but giving into the uncontrollable compulsion to walk straight back to the lounge.

Finally, he stopped pacing. Why was he acting so irrationally? He knew that Ilya meant no harm and Lenalee was not in danger of anything. But the thought of them together sent his heart plunging to the floor beneath and beyond. He covered his face with his hands and felt his head becoming feverish. He decided that he could not rest until he made sure that things were okay, whatever that meant. He turned on his heels one last time.

As he approached the lounge again, he was met with a sight that would become etched into his memory: Lenalee and Ilya walking away together, arm in arm.

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: Well, dang, I THOUGHT this was gonna be a two-shot but I guess this story has one more chapter to be written. Just one more chapter, I promise. :D

Also, sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors. it's way late and I'd rather post this before I go to bed instead of reviewing it tomorrow and posting it. I'll check it over tomorrow and just correct stuff after I post it so that at least it's up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Push**

Part 3 of 3

Woo-hoo! Last chapter! Thank you guys so much for continuing to read this and for the reviews you have left me. I am always touched that we can connect with each other via our shared love of these animes/mangas/characters!

Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, and all characters in the DGM Universe do not belong to me. I am merely borrowing them for a while to suit my purpose. If it wasn't clear before, I will reiterate that this is an Allen Walker X Lenalee Lee story.

I was going to start continuing on with my current DGM fic but this idea injected itself into my head as I sat down to type and I had to explore it. Sigh…I'm so bad with procrastination. Ilya Shkarov is someone I made up to propel this story along. I am not sure specifically where this is set in terms of the manga's time line and I think I'm okay with that. Let's just say sometime after the move to the new HQ.

* * *

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London –**** Allen Walker's Quarters**

"Oi! Allen! You coming to dinner or what? This isn't like you…since when do I have to call you out more than once to eat? Are you sick or something?"

Lavi stood in front of Allen's door, having knocked on it several times now without getting a response. He let the noise settle as he strained to hear any sound of stirring from within.

Nothing.

After a few beats, Lavi's tone of voice matched his mood, which was quickly turning concerned. "Seriously, are you okay?"

"Is everyone there?" came a soft, tentative voice that Lavi knew to be Allen's.

"At dinner? Of course everyone's there, why wouldn't they be?"

Nothing.

And then, seemingly from out of the void, a sonic explosion of heaving, raucous, dissident calamity such as Lavi had never heard was assaulting his ears. It was emanating from Allen's room! Without a second thought, Lavi kicked the door down, his heart racing, as he held his hammer at the ready. He was met with the sight of Allen sitting alone on his bed, holding his stomach, and looking quite sheepish.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Lavi, still looking around for some unknown evil.

"Why'd you kick my door in?" Allen asked more calmly than Lavi thought he should.

"Whaddya mean? That noise! I thought you were being attacked…" countered Lavi.

Then it all sunk in: Allen looking as guilty as all get out, the way he was hunched over and holding his midsection, as if to stifle something, and that noise…now that he thought about it, sounded vaguely familiar…and he hadn't seen Allen at all yesterday, not even during meals…

Lavi's hammer slid back easily into his holster as it returned to normal size. Once he assured himself that headquarters hadn't been infiltrated by some new threat, he took his time and leaned his back against the wall that was next to the now splintered door which was half-hanging off its hinges.

"Good god. Was that your stomach growling?"

Before Allen could even answer, a booming and tumultuous gurgling escaped from Allen's body, making him squirm as if fighting a beast trying to get loose.

"Ehhh…" was all Allen could say in response to both Lavi's question and his own stomach's betrayal.

"You haven't eaten for two days, have you?" asked Lavi, rhetorically. He already knew the answer.

"I just haven't had an appetite," responded Allen, more truthfully than either of them knew.

"Your stomach's telling me differently."

"I'm hungry but that's not the same as feeling like eating. Nothing tastes good."

"Okay, something in the universe has just dislodged because that makes NO sense coming from you. Let's back up a bit," asserted Lavi, going into analytical mode. "Does this have something to do with when you came back to the dining hall a couple of nights ago, looking white as a sheet?"

Nothing.

Lavi continued since he didn't exactly get a negation from the boy. "Okay, let's see, so you had gone chasing after Lenalee a few nights ago…the night we all met Ilya for the first time…but when you came back, you were like a zombie, staring off into space and just grunting in reply. But then you proceeded to scarf down half of Jerry's food stock without so much as a word, and then left. I haven't seen you since then. Have you been holed up in your room for the past two days? I thought maybe I just kept missing you but the chances of your being in the kitchen are too great for me to miss you two days in a row without good reason."

Allen couldn't quite argue with that logic.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or what?"

"I…"

"You saw something that night. What was it?"

"It was…"

"Come on, let's hear it."

"I will if you let me!"

Lavi raised his eyebrows to let Allen know that he was all ears.

"I just wanted to ask Lenalee something so I went looking for her," began Allen, reticently.

"Sure you did," Lavi retorted on impulse, having a clear memory of that night, but this only earned him a glare from Allen. "Yeah, go on."

"Anyway…I knew they were headed for the lounge so I went there and well…they were already sitting down, talking…"

"Okaaaay…"

"…but it looked kind of serious. I don't think they were just chatting. Ilya's back was to me but I could see Lenalee's face pretty well from where I was…"

"…hiding?"

"…standing! Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Sorry, sorry. Go on."

After Allen muttered something under his breath about how Bookmen were supposed to be better listeners, he continued.

"So, I didn't want to interrupt whatever they were talking about since it seemed important but Lenalee looked so worried about whatever Ilya was saying to her. And he was…he was holding her hands. Anyway, I started to walk back to the dining hall but I just got this weird feeling so I went back to check on her. The next thing I saw was the two of them walking out of the lounge…together."

Lavi just looked at Allen, tilting his head as if expecting something more.

"Together. As in To-geth-er," Allen explained, emphatically.

"Oh. I see. Well, that explains things."

"What? That explains what?" demanded Allen.

"I guess it explains why they're hanging around each other so much," Lavi said, almost to himself. "It's as if they're attached at the hip."

Allen's face visibly fell.

"Do you really think they're seeing each other, in THAT way?" prodded Lavi.

Allen looked down at his feet as he sat on the edge of his bed for a long minute. His stomach had quieted down as if in deference to prioritization.

"She has a right to, don't you think, Lavi?" Allen finally said, his tone searching.

"Well, sure she does," he responded, going along with Allen's reasoning. "She's a lovely young girl. Why shouldn't she be given attention and affection? She can't just have Komui as the only guy in her life, right? That's a little unhealthy, as we all know."

"I suppose so. But I just didn't think she thought she had time for something like that," replied Allen, wishing he could take back his initial assertion now that Lavi seemed to encourage it. "I mean, we certainly don't live the same kind of life as other people our age. We can't do the same things."

"Ah, but don't you think that's more of a reason why she would like to?"Lavi posited, as he crossed his arms. "We may have these heavy responsibilities but deep down, are we that much different from other people our age? There are days when I'd like nothing more than to shove aside all my history books and just read a meaningless adventure story or sleep in or go on a date with a cute girl who has long legs. I'm sure even Yu would like something on the side instead of having to be a hothead all day. So I don't blame Lenalee for wanting to feel like any other girl sometimes and maybe have a boy tell her she's pretty or give her flowers. They are little things and it doesn't seem like a big deal until…you can't have it."

Allen considered Lavi's words carefully and found that he wouldn't want Lenalee to be robbed of those things, if he could help it. For all of her care and concern for others, didn't she deserve to be made to feel special? Shouldn't she be told how her smile brightens everyone's day, that her kindness and thoughtfulness are what keeps them afloat, that her laughter is like a sunbeam penetrating through even the darkest, densest cloud – that she was so beautiful sometimes he had to stop himself from staring…

"What about you, Allen? You're a grown young man. Don't you want something more than this?" asked Lavi, seeing the burgeoning awareness come over Allen's face, as well as a slight flush.

"I…I hadn't really thought about it. I always thought it was a waste to think about things we weren't allowed to have."

"Well, I know you're always about moving forward, Allen. But how well can you do that if you're weighed down by regrets? You gotta keep going, I agree, but I always tell myself to make sure that I do my best so that I don't have to look back and wish I could have done something differently or tried something else. You can still try having a life WHILE you move forward, you know?" reasoned Lavi. "Maybe we can't have certain things because of who we are but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try…and no one understands that better than our fellow comrades, right?"

Allen looked up at Lavi. There was a knowing look in his eyes that Allen couldn't quite figure out, as if Lavi was challenging him.

"Anyway," he continued, "I can't say that I believe you when you say that you haven't thought about wanting something more….I mean…else. You have, you just stamped it out. We all do that to some extent for our own sanity but I think you are more successful at it than others. So why don't you spend some time…unstamping. As for Lenalee, I don't know. Now that I think about it, Ilya doesn't seem like her type…"

That snapped Allen out of trying to figure Lavi's subtext. He was sure there was one.

"But you had said that they've been hanging around each other constantly," reminded Allen.

"Yeah, but I don't see it. They're together but not together. I don't know," Lavi said as he shrugged. "Why don't you just ask her, if you're so worried about it?"

"I'm not!"

"Not what?"

"Not worried."

"Yeah? Then why are you hiding out in your room and not eating?"

"I'm not hiding!"

"Hiding, standing, whatever. I get it. Now are you gonna come have dinner or what?"

Allen slowly stood. In one thing Lavi was right: he was a grown young man. He couldn't just stay in his room all day hoping to avoid something that made him feel uncomfortable or awkward or whatever it was he was feeling now. He needed to stop acting like a child.

"Let's go. I'm starving."

"That's what I wanna hear," said Lavi, as he clasped Allen around the shoulders and stepped over the rubble that used to be the doorway. "I'll, uh, have that fixed."

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London –**** Dining Hall**

"Are you all right? You're not ill, are you, Allen-kun?" Lenalee asked with much distress as he and Lavi approached. It was clear by the look on her face just how worried she was about him. Seemingly, in that way, things hadn't changed all that much but, in other ways, for him, it had changed a great deal.

Allen and Lavi sat down at the table where Lenalee and Ilya were also seated. Even though there were plenty of other open tables, Allen decided he didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Where's Yu?" inquired Lavi.

"He already finished his dinner and left, as did most of the staff," replied Lenalee gesturing to the half-empty dining hall. "Dinner ended about 20 minutes ago."

"Did you guys not eat yet, Lenalee?" asked Allen.

"Oh no, we already finished our dinner."

"Then...?" wondered Allen.

"Lenalee thought maybe you would come here so we waited a little," replied Ilya, smiling.

"Oh." Allen wasn't quite sure how to take that coming from Ilya but he couldn't help but feel the man's sincerity either.

"So, are you feeling all right? We didn't see you all day yesterday and today," inquired Lenalee, obviously intent on getting an answer from him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed to take care of some things on my own. I'm so hungry, though!"

"I bet," said Lenalee, giggling. "But you're going to have to explain yourself to Jerry. He made your usual last night and I'm not sure if he'd be happier re-heating it all up or just making you dinner from scratch again."

"Do you think he'd let me eat last night's and tonight's dinner?" asked Allen, in earnest. That elicited a laugh from everyone.

"I'm glad you're okay, Allen-kun," Lenalee said in a low tone after the laughter died down. She gave Allen's hand a quick, soft squeeze before beaming at him.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Lenalee," Allen said, finding himself disarmed by her again.

As they sat and chatted together while he and Lavi had their dinner, he found that Ilya was as genuine a person as there ever was. Whatever he thought, he would say. Whatever he said was what he thought. There was no pretense or equivocating on his part. The openness with which he communicated his feelings was refreshing and, to Allen, charming. It was hard to begrudge him anything. And it was clear that Lenalee enjoyed his company. Allen chastised himself for failing to support Lenalee in something that she wanted to experience. He wouldn't fail her again.

"Hey Ilya…" started Allen.

Ilya turned to look at him over Lenalee's head. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say…that I'm happy for you."

Lavi bemusedly facepalmed but recovered quickly.

"You are? Oh you must mean….well, I thank you. I will have to get used to the distance and being so far away from the friends I made here, and especially this one…" Ilya said as he placed his large hand on Lenalee's head, tousling her hair slightly.

Allen felt a stab in his chest but he stifled any reaction to it.

"Ilya! I told you…we have to be very careful in case of nii-san! He could be anywhere," cried Lenalee, straightening her now disheveled strands.

"Do not worry, princess. I am leaving tonight anyway. What can he do but send me a few hours sooner?" replied Ilya, smiling, though his eyes showed a trace of sadness at the corners.

"You're leaving tonight?" interjected Allen, not sure if he heard correctly.

"Yes, after all, I was only here to find out where I would permanently be placed. But if you are happy for me about being stationed in the Eastern European Branch, then it must be a nice place to work, yes?"

"Uh…yeah…" stammered Allen, not sure how to answer since he'd never been to that Branch before himself.

"Well, I also wanted to say it was good to meet you. I hope we can keep in contact even though I will be across the continent. I will have to ask the princess here to keep me updated on all of you, especially you, Allen."

"Ah, okay…" replied Allen, baffled.

"We better get you ready, Ilya," interrupted Lenalee, practically pulling him up. "Nii-san will want to see you again before you depart. I want to make sure I have your travel papers all ready, too," Lenalee said.

Ilya chuckled to himself and, as they stood to leave, they bid Ilya a good journey and good luck. Then Allen tugged on Lenalee's sleeve, catching her attention.

"Lenalee...can I talk with you later on? Whenever you have time is fine."

"Of course, Allen-kun. I'm going to see Ilya off since he has a few final documents to sign, but I should be free after that. How about….ten o'clock?"

"Sure, sounds good. Uh, in the lounge?"

"Okay, I'll see you then," replied Lenalee as she waved, thinking to herself that the lounge was getting more guests this week than it ever used to.

**The Black Order: Main Headquarters, London –**** Lounge**

Allen sat, waiting for Lenalee. It was a few minutes past ten o'clock and he started to feel inexplicably anxious. Would she come? Of course, she would… Since dinner, he had tried to think of what to say when Lenalee finally got there but found he couldn't formulate anything cohesive. Where should he begin? What exactly should he say? Was this a good idea at all? What if it made her feel uncomfortable? What if it changed their relationship…?

Allen broke out in to a cold sweat at the thought.

"Hi, Allen-kun! Sorry to keep you waiting. Ilya took a while to get into his carriage. I guess he was really reluctant to leave," said Lenalee as she smiled, running toward him.

"That's understandable. I wouldn't want to leave either, especially when, you know…"

"Hmm?" remarked Lenalee, as she tilted her head and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Uh, nothing…want to sit down?"

They maneuvered to the nearest couch. Lenalee inadvertently smiled as she sat and Allen realized that this was where they had fallen asleep, leaning on each other that one fateful night. He warmed at the memory, recalling the comforting weight of Lenalee's body against his as they supported each other. He had entered the room in a daze after talking with his Master when he noticed Lenalee and Johnny on the couch, asleep upright, and he knew they had been waiting for him. Having accidentally roused Lenalee while trying to cover her with a blanket, they shared a quiet moment, though both were too exhausted to go much further than exchanging a few words before sidling against each other under the blanket he had provided. It had just happened without words and without supposition. Before he knew it, his cheek was gently resting atop Lenalee's head and the faint smell of lilacs and the warmth she provided had lulled him to sleep. It was one of the most peaceful, undisturbed night's repose he ever remembered having but one he never dared dream of having again. It made him sad and it showed visibly on his face.

"Allen-kun, what's wrong?" asked Lenalee, catching his expression immediately.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Is it what you wanted to talk about?"

"I'm not sure. I was hoping I'd have something better to say than that once you got here."

Lenalee had always found Allen's shyness endearing. It was a jarring but interesting juxtaposition to the side of him that was also daring, risky, and confident; the side that he unabashedly showed during the heat of battle. But when it came to talking with her alone, he had always approached it with such care and timidity, almost as if he was afraid to break the porcelain vase of propriety if he ran headlong into it too fast. Lenalee didn't mind holding the vase steady long enough for him to say whatever he needed.

"I'm not in any rush, Allen-kun. And you know you can tell me anything, right?" she assured him.

"I know," sighed Allen. "I guess I should start off by saying I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Whatever for?"

"For being selfish."

"Allen-kun, there was only ever one time I thought you were selfish and I think we resolved that a long time ago. I have never thought you selfish again."

"This one wasn't as obvious to you or to me. I just realized it myself recently."

"I don't understand."

"I…I want you to be happy, Lenalee."

"I am happy, Allen-kun."

"I can see that he makes you happy…but I want to make sure that you know I am glad you're pursuing the things that you want, no matter what anyone says. I think you're very brave and I want to support you. Even though we can't live like normal people, you deserve to have these moments with someone."

Allen looked at Lenalee, unwaveringly. He wanted her to know that he meant every word he said no matter how conflicted he felt that he wasn't the one able to tell her the words she deserved to hear or give her the gifts she deserved to receive.

"Allen-kun…I have no idea what you're talking about," she finally said, looking perplexed.

"You and Ilya. I never got to tell you how happy I am that you found someone to…to be with."

"Me and Ilya…?"

"I should tell you I saw you both that night we first met him after your talk with him here. I didn't mean to, but I did. I've known since then that you two were…involved," he explained, wondering to himself if he would ever be comfortable admitting to their relationship to say it without hesitation.

Lenalee considered his words carefully and ruminated on her actions with Ilya during the past few days. As discreet as she tried to be, there was bound to be someone who saw them and began to speculate. She was hoping the short time with him would quell any suspicions once he left but she had not counted on Allen seeing them that first night. Once the realization dawned on her, she covered her face with her hands.

"Oh, Allen-kun, no. That's not it at all! Ilya and I are not together. Not like that."

"Huh?"

"When you saw us that night, he was telling me about his parents and how he had lost them the same time he lost his grandmother. His sister was also killed by Akuma that day and he was closest to her. They were inseparable and they doted on each other. I guess I look and act a lot like she used to and Ilya asked if he could sort of adopt me; that it would do his heart good to have a sister again so that he felt like he could still fulfill his role as an older brother to her in some way."

Allen stared wide-eyed at her as she spoke.

"I couldn't say no. He seemed so heart-broken. And I knew where he was going to be stationed so I figured, with the little time he had here, I would do everything I could to make him feel better. We spent most of the time walking around and talking about his family, especially his sister. He couldn't stop talking about her, he loved her so much. I felt really lucky, actually. I mean, there will never be anyone other than nii-san for me but I often found myself thinking it would be nice to have a brother like Ilya also, you know? He didn't even flip out when I told him I liked someone…"

Lenalee stopped short abruptly, her face frozen.

"You like someone, Lenalee?" Allen asked, afraid he had heard her incorrectly.

"Oh…goodness…" she stammered, feeling the heat rise up to her face as it spread across her nose and cheeks.

Allen wondered to himself if there would ever be a day when Lenalee would cease to be as adorable as she was now, blushing like a little girl, trying hard to look down so he couldn't see. Her shoulder length hair was doing a good job of curtaining her face, but her furiously rosy complexion was hard to miss even so.

"I'm sorry; I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You don't have to tell me," comforted Allen.

"It's not that, Allen-kun, I just didn't mean to say it so carelessly."

Finding out that Lenalee was not with Ilya not only made Allen feel incredibly relieved, but it buttressed his courage more than anything. No matter who she happened to like, it didn't matter to him as long as she knew he how strongly he felt. He wanted to tell her everything then; he wanted to say how much she meant to him, that she made him weak-kneed and short of breath in the best ways possible, that he felt things he couldn't even recognize in his naïveté but never wanted to stop feeling, that he wanted to be the one tell her how lovely and incomparable she was and be with her always until there were no more days left. These things he had pent up inside of him because he felt they couldn't or shouldn't be said to anyone, he now wanted to tell the very person they were directed towards. It was imperative to do so and he didn't want to waste any more time NOT thinking about them.

Lenalee felt like it was out of the bag now. How could she have been so reckless? She always felt comfortable talking with Allen but this admission was on another scale. Could she tell him without making things awkward between them? She didn't want to drive a wedge into their friendship because she couldn't keep a long-hidden secret under wraps. But perhaps she wasn't meant to. Maybe this slip-up meant she should finally tell him; tell him how she would lose herself in his soft grey eyes and his beautifully sad smile, tell him how his care for her made her feel like the only woman in the world, tell him that she would live and die by his side if he would let her.

"Would you really have been glad if I was together with Ilya?" ventured Lenalee, looking for a way to tell him gently.

"To be honest….no, Lenalee. I didn't want it to be Ilya."

"Allen-kun…?

"There's something I want to tell you, Lenalee," he said, as he took her hands in his.

"There's something I want to tell you too, Allen-kun."

Just outside of the lounge, in the shadows, Lavi moved away surreptitiously. Bookmen were merely supposed to observe and document the world as events naturally happened and not be any kind of causal agent. But he couldn't help himself in this case. How those two lived every day with something so heavy locked away inside of them, he didn't know. As he left them in privacy for what was so long in coming, Lavi knew it might have happened eventually. But he also knew that that all it would take to move things along was a little push.

THE END

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A/N – Phew! I thought I might have had to split this up into two more chapters but I figured I'd just post this as a longer chapter and be done with it, as promised. I wanted to leave their actual convo to your imagination since I am sure it would lead in various directions based on how you see this pairing, lol. Maybe it would end with them hugging….maybe something more…I know how some of you think, hehehe. Anyway, you know what they were gonna say to each other and then some. I hope you enjoyed this little diversion. Thanks again for coming along with me and putting up with my style of writing, whatever that is. Till next time….


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